An Announcement that Changed the World: Charles Darwin's Discovers Natural Selection

On July 1st, 1858, Charles Darwin announced his discovery of natural selection--a major force behind the theory of evolution. So, this year, a celebration of sorts begins that will last well into next year. His 200th birthday is on Feb 12, 2009. His Origin of the Species was first published in November of 1859. It wasn't flawless, but that's the beauty of science: through inquiry revision is welcome. Science is a process. It's also the best tool we have to understand the world around us.... and those worlds very far away!

This scientific theory is one of the strongest we have, yet, most Americans believe that God made us in our present form a few thousand years ago when the earth was created! In other words, more people accept creationism than evolution. Why is that? Is it the failure of schools to teach proper science, or is it the religious influence that propagates myths? Or, is it people's preference for wanting to be the center of the universe? That all exists for humans--as God's greatest creation?

I find it disturbing that in an age of abundant information and scientific knowledge, the US has such widespread ignorance about everything important. Isn't worth learning how we got here, why things work they way they do through the physical laws?

Here's a recent Richard Dawkins interview on Darwin and the theory of evolution.